Home water coolers are used to provide a source of chilled and filtered water for drinking and preparation of beverages. Water from regular utility lines is filtered to remove particulates and unpleasant tasting substances, and is delivered to a sink-mounted valve after passing through a chilling unit. These coolers are popular in many households as a replacement for bottled-water units which require handling of bulky water containers.
The filtration assembly of this invention is well suited for use in home water coolers, and provides effective filtering of particulates and other impurities from chlorinated household water. The assembly is compact, and is designed for under-sink floor mounting without special supporting brackets or similar hardware. A typical water-cooler system in which the invention is useful is described in my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 438,869 filed Feb. 1, 1974.
A quick-connect coupling is plumbed into the water line between the cooler and the household water supply, and enables the assembly to be removed and replaced with only horizontal movement, thereby eliminating need for vertical clearance space usually required for conventional filters. The connection is made by a single bolt, permitting quick removal and reinstallation when the filter elements in the assembly are changed.